FirstEnergy NJ unit says nearly all customers back post-Sandy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - FirstEnergy's Jersey Central Power & Light on Sunday said it restored service to 99 percent of its customers affected by Hurricane Sandy and the recent Nor'easter storm, with the remaining 19,000 customers that can receive service expected to have it by Sunday evening.

About 30,000 customers on the barrier islands and in shoreline communities in New Jersey - some of the most devastated after Sandy came ashore near Atlantic City on October 29 - cannot be restored to service at this time due to massive infrastructure damage in that area, the company said it a statement.

The company said it was working with local, state and federal officials to develop a full recovery plan for that area.

Restoration efforts included 130,000 customers who lost power due to the Nor'easter storm that hit the U.S. Northeast last week.

More than 1.3 million customers lost power during both storms, and more than 8 million lost power in the region following the storms.

FirstEnergy's 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia.

(Reporting by Eileen Houlihan; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)